Rutgers defeated Norfolk State 60-10 to improve to 3-0 on the season, with a massive showdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes set for next Friday night. The Scarlet Knights led 26-3 at halftime before pouring it on in the second half, with backups continuing to score in the second quarter. Here are my takeaways from the game and where the Scarlet Knights stand entering Big Ten play.
Special Teams Continues Their Special Start
Rutgers may be able to claim “Special Teams U” after its start to the 2025 season, combined with its track record in the third
phase of the game going back to Schiano’s first stint with the program. Rutgers started the game by scoring their first two touchdowns on miscues by Norfolk State in punting situations. After the Scarlet Knights’ defense forced a three-and-out on the Spartans’ opening possession, NSU’s punter Marco Peery mishandled the snap. Kaj Sanders laid a hit on Peery and jarred the ball loose, which landed in Dylan Braithwaite’s hands for the game’s opening score.
Norfolk State advanced the football into Rutgers’ territory on their next drive, but were forced to punt, pinning the Scarlet Knights deep. Rutgers similarly moved into Norfolk State territory, but their drive stalled on an interception intended for Sheffield and a fourth-down sack by the Spartans.
NSU could not find life on its next possession, getting backed up on penalties and having its punt blocked, this time by Jett Elad, who burst through the middle and got his hand on the football. Kaj Sanders scooped up the football and returned it into the end zone. Rutgers’ first two touchdowns came on special teams, which rarely happens for any team, regardless of competition.
However, not all went well for the Scarlet Knights on special teams. Rutgers had two extra points blocked over the course of the game, one on the opening touchdown and one on the first touchdown of the second half. Although this has not been a common issue for Rutgers, it should be something that is addressed this week before Big Ten play kicks off on Friday.
Offense Mixes Things Up Early, Heats Up To Sixty Points
The offense had an uncharacteristically slow start, with the aforementioned turnover on downs and the first two touchdowns coming off of Norfolk State punting miscues. However, the offense did get going from the second quarter onwards. Rutgers continued to win the line of scrimmage and showed some different looks, with five of six of Kaliakmanis’ first passes going to running backs and tight ends.
Kaliakmanis turned to Kenny Fletcher Jr. and Colin Weber on short rollout passes, hitting their tight ends for short gains up the sideline. It was a similar action to what Rutgers often ran in Blacksburg against the Hokies last season, a game where Fletcher had a career-high seven catches for 61 yards.
The run game continued to have its way from the beginning of the game, with Antwan Raymond and Ja’Shon Benjamin getting the lion’s share of the carries. Rutgers opted to keep the clock ticking with extended drives before the passing game got going in the second quarter.
Kaliakmanis experimented with some deep throws over the course of the game, with some sailing over the head of open receivers, and hit DT Sheffield on a touchdown pass that was negated due to offsetting penalties. He also found Ben Black down the sideline for a touchdown and threw a 51-yard pass to Sheffield in the third quarter. Ben Black was highlighted as a receiver that Schiano wanted to work into more games, and he showcased his signature speed on the go ball to the end zone.
The top play of the game would go to Kaliakmanis’ 18-yard pass to KJ Duff. Kaliakmanis found Duff near the left sideline, with the sophomore receiver tracking the ball near the left sideline, making the one-handed grab in Odell Beckham Jr. fashion, and getting his right heel inbounds, all while being covered tightly by the Norfolk State defensive back.
Defense Continues To Allow Big Plays Despite Allowing 10 Points
For all the fanfare on the offensive side of the football, the defense continues to show concerns, allowing multiple big plays by the Norfolk State offense. On the Spartans’ second drive of the game, running back Kevon King had a 20-yard run for a first down. In the second quarter, NSU quarterback Otto Kuhns had a 20-yard pickup on the ground, while running back X’Zavion Evans had a carry for 16 yards, which set up a Spartan field goal.
In the third quarter, Otto Kuhns found DreSean Kendrick for a 32-yard completion to put Norfolk State into Rutgers territory. A facemask penalty on Jordan Walker gave the Spartans a first down at the RU 25-yard line, and on the ensuing play, King took a handoff, cut to the outside, and stiff-armed Jett Elad for the final five yards up the right sideline for a Norfolk State touchdown.
Although one or two of these plays are expected to happen over the course of the game, having them happen so often against inferior competition is becoming a major concern for the Scarlet Knights. On the bright side, the defensive line was able to apply pressure and showed some flashes of its potential in this contest. Eric O’Neill led the Scarlet Knights in total tackles with five, including 2.5 for loss and half a sack, sharing the sack with Bradley Weaver.
Both defensive ends were highly-touted transfers after productive stints at top Group of Five schools, but each has had a very quiet start to their Rutgers careers. Jordan Walker had four tackles, including two solo tackles and a TFL, while Jordan Thompson had two tackles, which included a sack. Jett Elad also had an interception on an errant throw by Kuhns near his own end zone, which he returned for 21 yards.
Backups Shine In Fourth Quarter Action
With Rutgers taking a 46-10 lead into the fourth quarter, Greg Schiano entered his backups into the game, with Dane Pardridge making a fair catch in plus-territory after Norfolk State failed to advance the football past their own 19-yard line. The offensive backups and reserves took the field, led by sophomore AJ Surace, who is expected to take over as the starting quarterback when Kaliakmanis graduates after this season.
Surace threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with his first career TD going to Dino Kaliakmanis, who is the brother of Athan. The defensive reserves came up with a big play as well, with Henry Hughes Jr. recovering a fumble from Jayden Laudermilk to set up Rutgers with a short field. Surace took advantage, finding freshman receiver Michael Thomas III in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. Thomas made a particularly impressive catch, contorting his body and getting his forearm down in the corner of the end zone for the score.
Surace finished 4 for 7 with 58 yards and two touchdowns to no interceptions in his first career regular-season game. Schiano was able to sub in Sean Ashenfelder later, who connected on his one pass to Jackson Gister for an eleven-yard gain on a fourth down that kept a late drive alive. On the ground, Edd Guerrier had seven carries for 25 yards while Terrell Mitchell had three carries for 14 yards. Vernon Allen II also caught one pass for 18 yards.
On defense, Mercer transfer defensive back Chris Joines was subbed in and had three tackles, including one solo tackle. Linebacker Abram Wright got onto the field after dealing with an injury to start the season and had two tackles, including one solo, while true freshman linebacker DJ McClary showed promise with three total tackles, including two solo and one for loss. Even on special teams, backup kicker Dane Pizzarro was subbed into the game, converting on both of his extra points after Jai Patel made both of his field goal attempts and four of six PATs (the other two were blocked).
Injuries Starting To Pile Up For Rutgers
Injuries are becoming more of a concern as they continue to stack up early in the season. After Dantae Chin was announced as out for the season pregame, left tackle Tyler Needham was injured against the Spartans and was helped off the field. With Ryder Langsdale announced out for the season during training camp, Rutgers is running short on tackle depth entering Big Ten play. If Needham cannot go, Schiano may have to turn to transfers Moshood Giwa or Justin Cesaire to start against the physical Hawkeyes’ defensive front.
At running back, CJ Campbell suffered an injury against Norfolk State and similarly did not return to the game. Although Benjamin did a great job as the number-two back this week, he may have to step up alongside Antwan Raymond next week if Campbell does not return to the lineup.
Ian Strong was also announced as out before the NSU game, with Schiano explaining that something had happened in a previous game that the coaching staff and Strong thought would resolve itself, but did not in time for this contest. According to Richie O’Leary of The Knight Report, Strong had tweaked his ankle against Ohio, and that was the injury that kept him out of this game as a precautionary measure to rest up for Iowa.
With Big Ten play starting on Friday night, the injury situation is getting more and more concerning. Last year, the defensive side of the ball was decimated by injuries, which ended up derailing the season after a 4-0 September. The Scarlet Knights will need to make adjustments and do their best to keep the team as healthy as possible, with the opponents only getting much better from here on out.
Pivotal Matchup With Iowa Awaits The Scarlet Knights
Although it was not easy, Rutgers started their season 3-0 and went unblemished in the regular-season nonconference slate for the fifth year in a row. After a 34-31 win over the Ohio Bobcats (who looked solid in a victory over West Virginia and were in a one-score game with Ohio State in the third quarter), the Scarlet Knights found their footing and pulled away from the Miami (OH) RedHawks before taking down Norfolk State with ease.
Now the attention turns to Big Ten play. Iowa has long been a measuring-stick game for the Scarlet Knights, with the Hawkeyes holding a 4-0 series advantage over the Scarlet Knights. Multiple of these losses have been extremely frustrating for Scarlet Knights fans, with Rutgers losing 27-10 and 22-0 to the Hawks in the 2022 and 2023 seasons despite Iowa’s offensive struggles and the perception that Rutgers had closed the gap on Iowa.
The offensive returns from Rutgers indicate that this team may be able to win the game in a different way than previous years, with Kaliakmanis, his receiving trio, and his running backs showcasing a versatile offense that has averaged over 46 points through the first three contests. Although Iowa’s stingy defense will almost certainly allow fewer than that, the Scarlet Knights may be inclined to play to their strengths and try to outscore their opponents whenever possible.
On the flip side, the defensive issues look concerning entering Big Ten play, especially when it comes to allowing big plays. Rutgers has struggled with mobile quarterbacks as well as stopping the run, and Iowa could pose a threat in both facets. In addition, Mark Gronowski turned in his best performance of his Hawkeyes career against UMass, going 16 for 24 with 179 yards and two passing touchdowns. The Scarlet Knights will have to respect Iowa’s passing game while contending with their physical run game for the duration of the contest.
The Iowa game will be the first of three pivotal contests for the Scarlet Knights, with Rutgers facing Minnesota on the road the week after, and Washington on the road two weeks after that. With the back half of the schedule featuring a pair of must-win games mixed in with several top-ten opponents, the next three games could decide the fate of the 2025 season. It will start with the highly anticipated blackout game against Iowa, which we will have live coverage for at On The Banks starting at 8 PM from SHI Stadium.
